Green and Dark Green Areas in Pokemon Go

The Pokemon GO in-game map was updated with the recent switch to OpenStreetMap (OSM), bringing a new set of roads, parks and other real-world features to the game. We often get asked what do various map colors represent and are there any correlation between the map colors and nests/raids, etc.

The dark green areas on the Pokémon GO in-game maps stand for the following areas:

park

golf course

The only correlation we found is that both dark green areas often contain Pokémon nests.

How OpenStreetMap influences Pokemon GO spawns

In order to explain the role of OSM and how it affects Pokemon GO in more depth, let’s start with some basic OSM knowledge. Each point of interest inside OSM has a tag attached to it, describing what it is and what purpose it serves. These tags are used to render various icons and to provide deeper context on the map.

It is believed that some of these tags are “nesting” tags and that nests can only occur in areas tagged with them:

golf course/park

farmland / farmyard

garden / grass / grassland / meadow

pitch / playground / scrub

heath / moor / green field

orchard/vineyard

This is yet to be investigated and confirmed or denied, but as of the time of this writing, there seems to be a solid correlation between nest placement and how the area is tagged on OSM.

Why are some locations missing from the map?

Areas tagged as military use are not rendered on the Pokemon GO map. This is an intentional game design decision made to prevent players from exploring areas that are usually not accessible by the general public.